Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is quickly working its way through the federal government, infiltrating agencies one by one. There’s an open question over whether Musk has legal authority to make major decisions within the federal government.
Is Musk a government employee?: The White House considers Musk a “special government employee” and says he has a top-secret security clearance. Reuters reports that Musk’s team has been given applicable clearances, too.
The latest DOGE target — America’s health agencies: DOGE representatives gained access to internal systems of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), though it’s unclear which systems. The Wall Street Journal reports that DOGE has access to key payment and contracting systems.
^ For context: The CMS operates as the government’s insurance provider and sets payment rates for medical care. Trump nominated celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz to lead the CMS, but he hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Plus, the CDC: On Wednesday, they sent representatives to the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wanting to access sensitive information, according to The Washington Post.
It’s not *just* health agencies: DOGE has access to the Treasury Department’s payment system, including Social Security, Medicare, sensitive tax information and bank accounts for direct deposit. The Treasury says it is only giving Musk’s team “read-only” access. NewsNation has a helpful explainer
